Just as Michael J. Fox‘s star was ascending on Family Ties, he was making the rounds on game shows, charming fans as a competitor on one of the most popular series of the 1980s.
Fox wasn’t yet a superstar when he was booked on the beloved game show, $20,000 Pyramid. The series paired up celebrities and contestants to work together to guess one-word clues for prize money.
In an episode of YouTube’s The Game Show Starring Bradley Clark, David Michaels was interviewed. Michaels worked in three different capacities on the game show, as a Production Manager, Producer, and judge.
He then spoke of late Hollywood publicist Nanci Ryder, who represented Fox for over three decades. Ryder asked Michaels for a favor, to book Fox, even though he was still an up-and-coming television star on Family Ties.
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“She said, ‘I need you to take a chance and just trust me, because I’m going to send you somebody who is going to become a huge star and you’re going to have him first.’ And I’m just thinking in my head, ‘Well, fine, if he’s good and all that, but I’m going to have to convince Bob [Stewart] of this,'” Michaels recalled.
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“He only did the show a couple of times at the beginning, but he was amazing. He was an amazing player,” he continued. “We stayed in touch a lot through those years. I have a picture of the first time he was on the show, him and me, and we look like children.”
“A lot of celebrities become household names, thanks to their appearances on game shows. And I guess you can say Michael J. Fox is part of that group,” Michaels concluded.
In a YouTube clip of one of those early appearances, Fox played alongside comedienne Jo Ann Worley. The series was hosted by Dick Clark.
Fox ended up in the last round of the show, The Winners Circle, with his contestant. He gave the clues while they provided the answers, all in one minute. However, she did not win the big prize despite Fox’s clues. The actor would also appear on an episode with Young & Restless star Meg Bennett.
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Within one year, Michael J. Fox would become a household name. Family Ties was a ratings hit for NBC, and in 1985, the actor would cement his superstar status after starring in the film Back to the Future.
The $20,000 Pyramid has aired on and off television for over 50 years. It debuted in 1973 as The $10,000 Pyramid and recently aired as The $100,000 Pyramid in 2025.
This story was originally published by Parade on Mar 27, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com ’
